Jennizor

I will report back in due course. I just hope the weather is better than we are currently having in Bolton. I think the temperatures should be fine, just don’t want to getting drenched every time we go ashore. Iona was very good when we sailed on her in March, so we are expecting the same next week (getting excited now).

Thanks Presto, we went to the Fjords in 2019 and really enjoyed it and promised ourselves that we would do it again. Roll on next Saturday.

I booked the Limelight Club for our cruise on Iona from next Saturday through my P & O cruises. I also booked the Chefs Table and Sindhu. There were others you could book but we weren’t interested in those. I prefer to book beforehand some of the venues we like.

We are on Iona to the Fjords next Saturday. We went there on Britannia in 2019 and had a lovely cruise. We were on Iona in Feb/March to Spain and the Canaries and she was great so very excited about this combination.

Devastating news for you and your family. Me and my family can fully empathise with you too. Look after each other at this sad time.

On Iona in Feb/Mar, we had our cruise cards scanned at our muster station. A couple of days later we got a note through our cabin door saying that as we had not had our cards scanned we must go to the muster station at a set date and time. We did this and a couple of days later we got the same letter. We went again and they apologised - a computer glitch! We didn’t get any more letters.

I know what you mean but on all our recent cruises formal nights have been well supported, Azura, Britannia and Iona in March this year.

Hi Minnie, Can’t help you with the 710 club or theatre times. If you are thinking of doing the Limelight Club your dinner is included in the booking. On Iona in March, I think it opened at 7.30 and everyone eats at the same time. I recommend you book in the two week period before your cruise as it might be fully booked if you wait until onboard. We have done the Limelight Club many times and always enjoyed it.. We are on Iona in a couple of weeks and booked it already. We don’t know La Voix, the artist who is on this time but we have never had a bad experience, and many brilliant ones - Gareth Gates, Cheryl Baker and Ray Quinn in March this year were my favourites. I hope this helps. Jennizor

That sounds like a good idea Kalos. I will have a look in our local Range next week. I am willing to try anything. The gardens either side of us do not have many flowers but further up there a couple that have some, I wont mention to them why I have a windmill!

Good news - I have managed to book the Limelight Club, Chefs Table and Sindhu for our Iona cruise two weeks today, the Olive Grove just says coming soon so I will watch out for that. Bad news - the deer are back, tucking into my begonias and geraniums. Not touched my dahlias but I’m not holding my breath on that. It was a beautiful young red deer who managed to jump over our new fence that we thought would be too high for them. When it stops raining I will try again with tying foil strips round the top fence boards. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Like you, we avoid the buffet. It’s not just the lack of personal hygiene, I hate the way one of you has to stay at the table while the other goes for something else to eat or drink. I have seen people clearing tables and sitting down leading to confrontation. Not for me.

Hi Lisa and Paul Can’t help you with the cabin. You will only be able to book the speciality restaurants two weeks before you sail. I would advise you to do that as soon as the booking option opens. We are going on our second Iona cruise 3 weeks today and will book as soon as online booking opens to ensure we get in at a time we want. I can’t comment on the Epicurean restaurant, we have never been as I couldn’t eat five courses but there are other members on here who find it very good. The food in the Limelight Club was very good both times we visited it, plus you get entertainment so it’s a good evening out (obviously depends on who is on but we have never had a bad experience). Sindhu is a lovely restaurant and the food is very good. We will book the Chefs Table for the formal night. We didn’t know what to expect last time as it is part of the Horizon buffet which we never use, however, we were very surprised. It was a sectioned off area, set out to look like a stylish restaurant and the menu was very good. We also like the Olive Grove and the Glass House. I hope this helps and you have a great cruise on Iona. Jennizor Iona is a lovely ship and despite there being over 5000 passengers on board the only time it felt busy was in the evening when the entertainment venues were finishing. There are lots of lovely seating areas and bars.

Sounds just like me Stefken. Roll on our next cruise in 3 weeks, a different outfit every night with bling to match - all in the best possible taste of course.

Hi Julie, we are on this cruise from 22 December to 5 January. We have had several new year cruises, all in the Caribbean. This is the first one over Christmas as well though. The atmosphere was always brilliant on New Years Eve, apart from one when the weather was bad and walking round the ship was difficult. We were due to go into port ( can’t remember which) but the weather was too rough. We all just made the best of it though. Everyone was dressed for the occasion, the evening meal was a special one and the atmosphere was brilliant. We have had the drinks package a few times and it worked for us, especially last time as it was complimentary as part of a random offer we received. Not sure whether we will this time or not. If you have a good amount of on board credit that you don’t want to spend on other things (like a Radley bag) it may be worth having the package. Only you can decide. The only thing you need to understand is that there may be quite a few children on board with it being in school holidays. It has never been a big problem for us as we like to be on decks away from the pool on sea days. I will say, however, that until recently Azura was our favourite ship. We went on Iona in Feb/March and loved her, she is lovely, and going on her again in three weeks to the Fjords. Regards Jennizor

I have always had a different outfit for each night. Never done more than 2 weeks though. Doing 16 nights on Arvia next year so will have to think about that (maybe Ian can take less clothes).

Yes, it is.

Similar position but a few decks down. We really must meet up with you and TigerB. It’s funny the thought of travelling half way around the world to meet people who live not that far away.

We were also in the Fjords in June 2019 on Arcadia. I agree with your comments about the temperatures. I was just glad we took clothes for any weather. Off again in 4 weeks on Iona and will do the same.

Michelle, what is your cabin no.? Ours is 12426.

25 degrees here in Bolton. Sadly we are going to our lovely neighbour Mary’s funeral at lunchtime. She has been in a home for a while and died very suddenly. Her husband Tom is 93 and still going strong. I am keeping out of the garden for a while. We have some big flying insects who seem very partial to my legs. One ankle swollen and two on my legs that are puffy. Not a good look! They don’t seem to bother Ian at all.

Graham, I booked the Limelight Club x2, the Chefs Table and Sindhu two weeks before we went on our March cruise on Iona. I have just checked my booking on My P&O cruises as it says I can book the restaurants I want 2 weeks before our July Iona cruise.

26 degrees here already in Bolton. The really heavy downpour last night has left my numerous newly cleaned pots splashed and looking a mess. Strangely enough, the plants in them don’t look too damaged. No rain forecast for the next week so I will be back to the hose. Not complaining though as it’s great to look out onto a blue sky and see the garden blooming.

We saw Ray Quinn and Joel Harper Jackson on our Iona cruise Feb/March. They were both excellent. If either of them are on when we are back on Iona in July, we will be booking them. Over the years we have seen loads of Limelight Club shows and never had a bad one. Gareth Gates and Cheryl Baker were both brilliant too.

Thoroughly agree with you Dai. Us oldies are on our 2nd Iona cruise in July and going on Arvia in March 24. Really looking forward to that too.

We started our cruising experience in 2001 on the Crown Princess around the Hawaiian Islands and we were instantly hooked. Since then we have been on mostly medium sized ships and recently on Iona. Yes, there have been lots of changes over the years and Iona did seem huge at first but I had booked some restaurants in the two weeks before the cruise. On the first night we went to the Glasshouse and were given a table straight away. We didn’t use the App at all on the cruise. On the nights we hadn’t pre-booked we just went to the Coral or Opal restaurants and usually were taken straight to a table (usually sharing as we enjoy those). We go on Iona again in July, I will pre-book some venues and we will do the same again for the rest of the cruise. We are in our 70s, my husband is not keen on using the App but I will use it I have to, no problem. Times change and we just have to do our best to keep up. We didn’t feel our cruise was compromised because we didn’t use the App.